Overview

• NODWIN Gaming, Chess.com and ChessBase India announced on June 18 that they will create a unified infrastructure for online competitive chess in India.
• It will co-create and scale original IPs, introduce premium competitive formats and drive deeper engagement across player and creator communities.
• Esports organization S8UL will represent India at the Esports World Cup 2025 in chess’s first inclusion, fielding grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram for a $1.5 million prize pool.
• India contributes over 9 million monthly active players to Chess.com and sees chess as its fourth most-watched sport after cricket, kabaddi and BGMI following a 24 million-viewer World Championship finale.
• The partnership leverages NODWIN’s broadcasting expertise and ChessBase India’s grassroots network to establish long-term pathways for player development and creator-led events.